Unified Controller for Dynamic Network Path Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network management systems face inefficiencies in setting up and managing network paths across multiple layers, requiring coordination between different administrative entities and leading to delays and resource misallocation, especially when establishing service chains that involve various network services.
Innovation Solution
A centralized controller performs dynamic end-to-end network path setup across multiple layers, using active topology information to compute locally optimal paths and manage resource allocation, allowing for on-demand setup and teardown of optical and MPLS paths, thereby optimizing resource utilization and reducing administrative overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If different network administrative entities manage physical transport paths and traffic engineered flows separately, then each entity can optimize its own domain, but coordination delays and additional resource requirements occur when setting up paths across layers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the management of physical transport paths (optical layer) and traffic engineered flows (MPLS layer) into a single unified controller. This consolidation eliminates the need for inter-entity coordination, reducing setup time while maintaining path reliability through integrated control of both layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified controller performs multiple functions including optical path computation, MPLS path computation, and service chain orchestration within a single entity. This multi-functionality allows simultaneous optimization of both transport and service layers without requiring separate specialized controllers, resolving the time loss from coordination.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate administrative systems are used for optical transport and IP/MPLS networks, then each system can be independently optimized, but resource allocation efficiency decreases due to lack of global visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the optical transport network controller and IP/MPLS network controller into a single unified controller with global visibility across both domains. This integration enables efficient resource allocation by allowing the controller to simultaneously consider optical capacity and MPLS routing requirements, eliminating resource misallocation while maintaining service adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
While unified, the controller maintains separate computation modules for optical paths and MPLS paths, allowing independent optimization algorithms for each layer while coordinating through shared resource information. This segmented architecture within unity enables both specialized optimization and global resource efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If manual coordination between network administrative entities is required for path setup, then fine-grained control is possible, but administrative overhead and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The unified controller automatically computes and establishes both optical and MPLS paths without requiring manual intervention or coordination between separate entities. The system performs self-service path setup by integrating all control functions, greatly simplifying operation while the internal complexity is encapsulated within the controller's automated algorithms.
4Stability of the object's composition
If optical paths are pre-configured before MPLS paths, then transport foundation is established, but resource allocation flexibility decreases when network demands change
Solution Approach 1:
The unified controller enables dynamic joint computation of optical and MPLS paths, allowing both layers to be adapted simultaneously when network demands change. This dynamic approach maintains structural stability through coordinated changes while achieving flexibility by recomputing both paths together based on current requirements, eliminating the rigidity of pre-configured optical paths.
Data Source
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AI summary
Described herein are techniques for improving network path computation for requested paths that include a chain of service points that provide network services to traffic flows traversing the requested path through a network along the service chain. In some examples of the described techniques, a controller network device receives a request for network connectivity between a service entry point and a service exit point for a service chain for application to packet flows associated to the service chain. The device, for each pair of the service points in the particular order and using the active topology information, computes at least one end-to-end sub-path through the sub-network connecting the pair of the service points according to a constraint and computes, using the at least one end-to-end sub-path for each pair of the service points, a service path between the service entry point and the service exit point for the service chain.